Southern
573.657.2145
573.657.2148
Dear
Primary/Elementary Families,
It is
hard to believe that we could already be in the month of November! As some of you already know, parent-teacher
conferences are just around the corner.
We hope that each of you will be able to meet with your child’s teacher
and discuss the progress that he is making thus far. We have a great school and wonderful things
are happening. The parent-school
relationship just makes the school that much stronger.
I
recently came across an article written by child psychologist, Dr. Kenneth N. Condrell, Ph.D. The
article is entitled “How Not To Raise a Brat” and focuses on parent behaviors
that often contribute to having negative affects on children’s behavior
choices. He suggests that if you want
to raise a “brat”, be sure to do the following:
1) Make
sure you rarely point it out to your child when he is doing something
wrong. “You need to be permissive and
allow your child to get away with all sorts of things; don’t let your child
know that his behaviors may be bothering you or someone else.” 2) If
you give your child feedback about how awful his behavior is, make sure you do
it in a “wimpy watered-down way. Here’s how:
scold your child, but at the same time, look at him adoringly. Your words will express disapproval, but your
facial expressions will be saying, “You are so precious to me.” 3) Make sure you take your child everywhere you go and include
him in most, if not all, of your adult activities. “ By doing
everything with your child, you are teaching him one of the most important
lessons a brat learns: ‘Mommy and Daddy
do not have a separate life from me, and I can expect always to be the center
of attention and more important than anyone else.” 4)
Make it a habit of giving in to your child when his behavior is
miserable. This teaches the child that
awful behavior brings him what he wants.
5) Set limits and then do not
follow through. We all know that
parenting is very difficult and stressful at times. Hopefully, these tips will help you know what
not to do and lead you to a more stress-free life as a parent. Even though I have three children of my own,
I certainly am no expert, but thought that what Dr. Condrell
was trying to say made sense.
I do
have a couple of reminders for you in this letter. First, please make sure that you are keeping
your child’s lunch account up to date.
Once in the negative, it tends to accumulate quickly. If you need financial assistance, please do
not hesitate to contact me for a Free/Reduced Lunch packet. It is confidential and can be very helpful to
families in need. Second, please refrain from utilizing the bus loop
in the mornings. Preschool students may
be dropped off there after
As
always, I am
very interested in making our schools the absolute best that they can be,
therefore, if you have comments or questions that may help move us that
direction, please do not hesitate to contact me. Working together, we can create a top quality
school for our kids!
Sincerely,
Scott
Salmons
Principal